Have Baby, Will Travel: Tips & Ideas for Travel with Baby
- danielle762001
- Oct 8, 2013
- 2 min read
We’ve just returned from 5 days in the great state of Texas to see family and attend ACL (Austin City Limits Music Festival). ACL is 3-day event full of music, crowds and 90 degree heat. We’ve seen many kids there in the past so it seemed perfectly normal to us to bring a 14-month old baby. Thankfully two of Audrey’s favorite things are live music and hamming it up for a crowd – so what could have been an absolute disaster turned out well. Feeding a baby in an airport, on a plane and away from home proved a little trickier. Here are a few of the tips, products, and ideas I used to help navigate this adventure.
The Bag: I packed in my carry-on two empty bottles/sippy cups; one for water and one for milk, a cloth bib and disposable bibs, a spoon, and a no-spill snack cup. My checked luggage contained more bibs, spoons, ziploc bags and a few small tupperware containers. Small containers with lids and sealable bags are a lifesaver when you’re on the go and want to have a snack or meal handy.
The Airport: Once through security I bought Audrey milk and a bottle of water. It was early so I also picked up a banana and a container of Fage greek yogurt. The flight home was in the afternoon, we shared a chickpea salad and chicken burger for lunch – not too messy and easy for Audrey to feed herself.
The Plane: My bag, and by bag I mean Audrey’s toys and food and a very teeny tiny section for my own personal belongings, contained plenty of snacks, including a small container of fresh cut melon, LaraBars (the healthiest pre-packaged bar in my opinion), a ziploc of dehydrated fruit, a few cheese sticks and faux Cheerios (that are way more delicious and healthier than the original). At home we follow meal and snack time schedules…on a plane, anything goes as far as I’m concerned.
The Stay: We rented a house within walking distance to the festival (and a grocery store) – A great option when you’re with a child. With a fridge, oven, microwave, cooking utensils, etc… it wasn’t hard to feed Audrey while there. I can’t recommend a service like HomeAway or Airbnb enough. It really proved so much easier, especially since the house came with a highchair, crib, running stroller, toys and more.
The Day to Day: ACL is one of the more progressive and hip concerts around so the food was, as always, awesome. From green smoothies and kombucha to cheese tamales and gluten-free pizza they have every appetite covered. Audrey ate right along with us enjoying local barbecued brisket with potato salad and the finest tex-mex fajitas and rice…not to mention a crazy good chocolate mint gelato pop. Plus, above-mentioned grocery store was Whole Foods so I was able to pick up prepared roasted salmon and squash as well as stuffed shells to keep in the fridge. These served as easily mashed and microwaveable meals when we were at the house.
It was a lot easier to travel with Audrey when she was younger. But while the days of single purees were simple, the excitement seeing her explore and try new things, in a new environment, was priceless. I wish I could say the same for her nap schedule…..
* For more great travel tips, check out these ideas from Positive Health Wellness!
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